Valve-gear for controlling motors.



No. 695,061. Patented Mar. u, I902. L. A. LANG. VALVE GEAR FOR GONTBULLING MOTORS.

(Application filed Sept. 7. 1901;)

(No Model.)

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-Witnesses Inventor (1: E'WWMQLSLF/ M. S. Edam Attorney Rms PETERS co. PHO'h'JYLITHOH wnsumcn'orz, n. c.

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LINCOLN A. LANG, OF YULE, NORTH DAKOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JANET LANG AND \VILLIAM G. LANG, OF YULE, NORTH DAKOTA.

VALVE-=GEAR FOR CONTROLLING MOTORS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent No. 695,061, dated March 1 1, 1902.

Application filed September '7 1901- Serial lilo. 74,610. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LINCOLN A. LANG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Yule, Billings county, North Dakota, (post-office address, Yule, North Dakota,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valve-Gear for Controlling Motors, of which the following is a specification.

This invention pertains to a self-locking motor adapted for the adjustment of a partas, for instance, a rudder or other steering device, an engine valve-gear, a logor other carriage, or the like; and the invention will be readily understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation, part vertical longitudinal section, of a device exemplifying myinvention; Fig. 2, an end elevation of the same, part vertical transverse section; and Fig. 3, a portion of the valve, shown upon an enlarged scale, in vertical longitudinal section.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a cylinder; 2, its piston; 3, the piston-rod, the longitudinal adjustment of which under the influence of fluid-pressure in the cylinder may be taken as representing the function of the machine, such function to be utilized by means of any appropriate and suitable connection to the piston-rod; 4:, the valve-chest, shown as adapted for a piston-valve; 5, inlet for fluidpressure to the valve-chest; 6 and 7, exhaust connections from the valve-chest, the inlet 5 being located between these two exhaust connections; 8 and 9, ports from the valve-chest to opposite ends of the cylinder, the valvechest ends of these'ports being disposed on opposite sides of inlet 5 and between the out lets 6 and 7; 10, a hollow piston-valve working within the valve-chest and having both its ends closed; 11, circumferential grooves at each end of the valve adapted when the valve is in mid-position to register with ports 8 and 9, these grooves in the valve being in free communication with the interior of the valve through radial ports therein; 12, the valve-stem; l3, radial ports in the center of the valve,placing itsinteriorin free communication with inlet 5 at all points in the stroke of the valve; 14, outwardly-opening checkvalves disposed in the opposite ends of the mainvalve and serving when closed to cut off connection between inlet 5 and grooves 11, these valves being normally open and being preferably provided with cushioning-chambers at their heels to avoid shock as they open after being closed; 15, a fixed pivot; 16, an adjusting-lever pivoted thereto and adapted to be moved directly or indirectly by hand or by other means determining the adjustment to be effected by the general device; 17, afloating lever pivoted to the valve-stein; 18, a pivot connecting one end of this lever with the piston-rod 3; 19, a link connecting opposite end of lever 17 with adjusting-lever 16; 20, a segment rocking on pivot 15 and provided with a central notch; 21, a detent carried by adjusting-lever 16 and codperating with the notch in the segment; 22, an arm fast with segment 20 and disposed parallel with floating lever 17; 23, a link connecting the lower ends of levers 17 and 22; 24:, a housing; 25, a rack attached to the piston-rod 3 and sliding in the housing, the parts now under consideration pertaining to exemplifying means for utilizing the motions of the pistonrod in effecting the adjustment of any device which may be suitably coupled to the rack as, for instance, rudder-chains; 26, a pinion- 8o shaft mounted in the housing across and over the rack; 27, a pinion fast on this shaft and adapted to engage the rack; 28, a yoked hearing for shaft 26, vertically adj ustable in the housing, so that the pinion can be engaged with or disengaged from the rack, as desired; 29, a screw in the housing for vertically adjusting the bearing and shaft, and 30 a wheel fast on the shaft.

The purpose of the machine, as before intimated, is to cause movement of the pistonrod in measured degree to effect the desired adjustment ofa part to which it is connected as, forinstance, a rudderthe degree of move ment of the piston-rod being effected by the 5 movement of adjusting-lever 16.

When the parts are in the position seen in Fig. 1, fluid-pressure is acting on both sides of the piston. If new any extraneous force seeks to move the piston in the cylinder, the zoo effect will be to close one or the other of the check-valves 14, according to the direction of movement of the piston, further disturbing advance of the piston thus becoming arrested and the device becoming locked in adjusted position, subject, however, to such degree of motion as the piston might have, due to the compression of elastic fluid, if such were used. If it be desired to move the piston to the right, then adjusting-lever 16 is to be unlatched from the segment and moved to the left, this shifting of the valve resulting in first closing ports 8 and 9 and then putting port 8 to live pressure and port 9 to exhaust.

, Under these conditions the piston starts to the right. In doing so it carries the lower end of floating lever 17 to the right and shifts thevalve again to central position, leaving the piston again locked,'as before. Moving adj ustin g-lever 16 to the right will correspondingly cause an adjusting movement of-piston 2 to the left, the piston becoming locked by live pressure when the movementof the piston shall have shifted the valve to the central position. As the piston makes this movement it rocks segment 20, and when the piston shall have reached the desired position of adj ustmentadjusting-lever 16 becomes againlatched to the segment, thus insuring the central locking position for the valve. If the piston has reached the desired point of adjustment and the detent of the adjusting-lever does not coincide with the notch in the segment, it is only necessary to shift the adjusting-lever sufficiently to cause the detent to engage.

The mechanism at the housing may be utilized as a hand steering-gear. Assume, for instance, that the piston-rod is connected with the rudder to be controlled by this fluid-pressure mechanism. If hand-steering becomes necessary, then the pinion may be lowered into the rack and the piston-rod reciprocated by turning wheel 30as, for instance, by means of sheave-ropes connected with the wheel.

In the illustration the valve-chest has been shown as connected directly with the cylinder; but it is obvious that these structures may be separated and properly connected by piping. It will also be obvious that various modifications may be effected in the direction of connection, &c., of the valve-operating parts without departure from the principle of the invention.

Theillustration shows the two check-valves 14 as separate; but this separateness is obviously not essential, there being no objection to the two valves moving as one. Again, the illustration shows the general apparatus as double-acting; but itis obvious that many applications of the system could well avail themselves of one or a pair of these devices arranged single-acting in an obvious manner to effect the adjustment of some single part, and it will be equally obvious that two or more of the adj usting-cylinders, single or double acting, could be placed under the control of a single one of the valve devices.

I claim as my invention- 1. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adjusting-piston therein, a valve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a valve disposed in said valvechest and adapted to place both of said cylinder-ports simultaneouslyin communication with the inlet or to put one of them to exhaust while the other is to live pressure, a floating lever having pivot al connection with the valve and with the piston, and an adjusting-lever mounted on a fixed pivot and having pivotal connection with the floating lever and with the piston. and adapted to move in unison with the floating lever as the piston moves.

2. In anadjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an ad j listing-piston therein, a valve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a valve disposed in said valvechest and adapted to place both of said cylinder-ports simultaneously in communication with the inlet or to put one of them to exhaust While the other is to live pressure, a floating lever having pivotal connection with the valve and with the piston, and an adj Listing-lever mounted on a fixed pivot and having pivotal connection with the floating lever and with the piston and adapted to move in unison with the floating lever as the piston moves, said adjusting-lever being formed in two parts mounted on the lever-pivot and angularly' movable in relation to each other, anda looking device to hold the two parts of the adj usting-lever in normal relationship.

3. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adj usting-piston therein, a valve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valvechest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a valve disposed in said valvechest and adapted to place both of said cylinder-portssimultaneouslyin communication with the inlet or to put one of them to exhaust while the other is to live pressure, an adjusting-lever, a floating lever having connection with the piston and with the valve and with said adjusting-lemr, a rocking segment concentric with said adj Listing-lever and arranged to move in unison with said piston, and a detent to lock said adjusting-lever to the segment.

t. In an adj ustin g-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an

I adjusting-piston therein, avalve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a hollow valve disposed in said valve-chest and having its interior in free communication with said inlet and adapted to communicate with said two cylinder-ports simultaneously, an adjusting-lever, and a floating lever having connection with the piston and with the valve and with said adjusting-lever.

5. In an adj usting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adjusting-piston therein, a valve-chest-, an exhaust connection ateach end of the valvechest, cylinder'ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the Valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, ahollow valve disposed in said valve-chest and having ports placing its interior in communication with said two cylinder-ports simultaneously when the valve is in mid-position and having its interior always in communication with said inlet, an adjusting-lever, and a floating lever having connection with the piston and valve and adjustinglever.

6. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adjusting piston therein, a valve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a valve disposed in said valvechest and adapted to place both of said cylinder-ports in simultaneous communication with said inlet or to place either one of them in communication with said inlet while the other is in communication with the exhaust,

check-valves carried by said valve and adapted to close toward said inlet and close communication between said inlet and said cylinder-ports when said cylinder-ports are in simultaneous communication with said inlet, and mechanism for shifting said valve.

7. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adj usting-piston therein, a valve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a hollow valve disposed with said valve-chest and having its interior in free communication with said inlet and having ports adapted to place its interior in simultaneous communication with both said cylinder-ports, said valve being adapted also to place either of said cylinder-ports in com- 1n unication with said inlet while the other of said ports is in communication with the exhaust, check valves disposed within said valve and closing toward said inlet and adapted, when the valve is in mid-position, to close communication between said cylinder-ports and inlet, and mechanism for shifting said valve.

8. In an adjustingmotor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, an adj listing-piston therein, avalve-chest, an exhaust connection at each end of the valvechest, cylinder-ports leading from opposite ends of the cylinder to the valve-chest at points between said two exhaust connections, an inlet to the valve-chest between said two cylinder-ports, a hollow valve disposed within said valve-chest and having circumferential grooves registering simultaneously with both said cylinder-ports and having ports placing the interior of the valve in communication with said grooves and with said inlet, said valve being adapted to place said inlet in simultaneous communication with both said cylinder-ports and also with either one of them while the other is in communication with the exhaust, check-valves disposed wit in-said valve and closing toward said inlet .and serving to close communication between the inlet and said cylinder-ports when the inlet communicates with them simultaneously, and mechanism for actuating said valve.

9. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chest, a valve therein for the control of the motion of the piston, apis ton-rod, a rack connected with the piston-rod, a housing, a vertically-adjustable bearing in the housing, means for adjusting the same, a shaft mounted in said bearing, a pinion fast on said shaft and adapted to engage said rack when the bearing is lowered, and means for turning said shaft.

10. In an adjusting-motor, the combination, substantially as set forth, of a cylinder, a piston therein, a valve-chest having an inlet and an exhaust, a cylinder-port communicating with said valve-chest between said inlet and exhaust, a valve disposed within said valve-chest and adapted to place said cylinder-port in communication with the in let or the exhaust, and a check-valve disposed in the line of fluid communication between said inlet and cylinder and adapted to close communication between them under the influence of excessive pressure produced by moving the piston toward said cylinder-port.

LINCOLN A. LANG.

Witnesses:

NORMAN LEBO', JANET LANG. 

